Cleveland, OH - It appears that breed misconceptions may, yet again, have contributed to the euthanasia of a beloved family dog.

According to a recent story in the News-Messenger, faulty assumptions caused the death of a loyal companion that valiantly tried to save his dying owner.

In April, the Cleveland Municipal Court ordered that Zeus, a 140 lb Rottweiler, be euthanized for "the mauling death" of his owner, Carolyn Baker.

Baker, aged 63, was found dead in her driveway in February. Authorities assumed that the 140 lb dog had mauled his owner after seeing a few bite marks on her body.

The assumption was wrong. According to Cuyahoga County Coroner, Frank Miller, Carolyn Baker's body did have a few bite marks, and some evidence of pawing, but the woman died from a heart attack and hypothermia, rather than from a vicious dog attack.

According to the coroner, it appears that Baker's dog was trying to help bring his ailing owner inside to safety, hence the paw and bite marks. Rather than a vicious mauling death, the wounds sustained on Baker's body were caused by a frantic pet attempting to drag his beloved owner inside to warmth and safety.

Baker was lying outdoors in the cold for several hours, clothed only in her nightgown. Zeus barked continuously until a neighbor finally came out to see what the problem was.

Zeus paid for his efforts with his life. The 9 yr-old dog was put to death via court order. Carolyn Baker's family now knows the truth, thanks to the coroner's report, and they too believe that Zeus had tried to save Carolyn's life.

One has to wonder what might have happened to the dog if he was a Labrador Retriever, or Standard Poodle....perhaps a bit more investigation before an assumption of "vicious mauling death".

I don't doubt for a minute that if it had been a "good bred" that people would have immediately given him the benefit of the doubt and come up with all sorts of stories about what he was trying to do. But no. It HAD to have been a mauling death. At least the family knows, and can honor him, and I hope that they do.

Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.